IndyCar: Castroneves sees challenge ahead at Mid-Ohio

Friday

IndyCar standout Helio Castroneves will look to add to his overall lead in the series points standings Sunday at the Honda Indy 200 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington.

In the overall points lead and on the hunt for more, IndyCar star Helio Castroneves continues his quest for a series championship Sunday at the Honda Indy 200 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

Castroneves enters with 533 points, good for a 13-point lead in the standings with just four races left on the IndyCar schedule. The final stretch won’t be easy, though. Difficult races remain, beginning with Mid-Ohio.

“The track at Mid-Ohio is very challenging,” Castroneves said. “It’s a track that has a lot of diversity to it. It’s a great place for fans. It’s a track where you’ll see some drivers take chances on.”

Just because others may take chances doesn’t mean Castroneves will. His approach has worked this season, and he doesn’t plan on changing it now.

“It’s been a great year,” Castroneves said. “We’re leading the points standings right now. Everything is working. We just need to keep doing what we are doing down the stretch.”

Castroneves won’t have to face the stretch run alone. He has one of the most famous racing teams in all of motorsports in his corner in Team Penske.

Team Penske has dominated the IndyCar points standings this year. Will Power, the driver trailing Castroneves by 13 points, also is a member of Team Penske. Ryan Hunter-Reay of Andretti Autosport sits a distant third with 464 points.

“It’s an honor to race for Team Penske,” Castroneves said. “It’s one of the best organizations in all of racing. They give you the best tools and they give you the best equipment to use to your advantage.”

Whatever happens this season Castroneves will remain one of the greatest IndyCar drivers of all time. The exuberant Castroneves has won the Indy 500 three times and he has 28 total IndyCar victories — 12th most in series history.

His success on the race track often is overshadowed by a victory in a competition of another kind, though. It’s not uncommon for Castroneves to hear more about his win during the 2007 season of “Dancing with the Stars” then any of his Indy 500 victories.

“I’d say 90 percent of the people that approach me in public remember me from “Dancing with the Stars,’ ” Castroneves said. “That’s something that is completely understandable. Competing on the show was really cool.”

That doesn’t mean Castroneves will be turning in his keys for a pair of wing tips anytime soon. Racing is more than a career for Castroneves. It’s something ingrained in him.

“I’ve been racing since I was 12 years old,” Castroneves said. “I started out with go-carts. As soon as I touched the wheel that first time, I fell in love with racing. It’s something I’ve been in love with ever since.”

Reach Cliff at 330-580-8494 or cliff.hickman@cantonrep.com

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